Enter the Magi
by Lunarity2013
Summary: They could just be watching the movie, she reasoned, no reason to start thinking up crazy scenarios. She managed to slip through most of the people until she could see the front window, only to find five or six televisions displaying the scene. Center screen on each, however, was a face entirely-too-familiar to Laurie, who stared up in horror as he spoke: "...I am Iron Man…"
1. Chapter 1

"Class of 2018 baby!" The sound of glasses clicking and cheers filled the open air. The sun reflected off the water as it started to set below the horizon, creating a backdrop of pinks and oranges and blues behind the beach-side bar, where a small crowd was huddled as the string lights above them flickered to life. The group drank happily, continuing to whoop and holler as they slammed their glasses down. The barkeep just shook his head, rubbing a glass clean with a small dish rag.

"So," he drawled, looking over at the group with a humored, knowing gaze, "what is it you all are celebrating?" One of the people sitting on the bar stool ― a young woman, her strawberry-blonde hair almost copper in the light of the sunset ― grinned up at him as he re-filled her shot glass.

"Graduation, baby!" The group cheered even louder at this, and she tossed back her drink again, "Celebrating being _real_ adults, with degrees and everything!" The bartender smiled, and started to refill the others' drinks as well. The woman laughed with her friends and smiled back at him, gasping lightly when she saw his shirt.

"I _LOVE_ your shirt, by the way!" she exclaimed, pointing at it wildly; it was a simple, airbrushed t-shirt ― the kind often sold along the beach boardwalk or at an amusement park ― except it showed what looked like purple and black claw marks, with "Wakanda Forever" etched in the middle. The bartender chuckled, rubbing his neck a little awkwardly as her outburst gained the attention of the rest of the group.

"Heh, thanks," he replied, "You a Marvel fan, then?" The figure beside the woman snorted, turning around to face him ― another young woman, a brunette ― with an almost tired smirk.

"'Fan' isn't a strong enough word for her obsession," she said, elbowing her friend in the ribs as she did. The first woman just laughed it off, re-adjusting herself on top of the stool.

"Oh really?" the bartender drawled, smirking back at the blonde, "So I guess you've seen _Infinity War_ already, right?" His answer came in the form of a blonde head smacking down on the bar counter, a whining groan emitting from beneath the curtain of hair. "I'll take that as a yes." The blonde woman looked back up to him, green eyes a little glassy but a smile still spread on her face.

"I'm Laurie," she said, holding out a hand to him. He took her hand and shook it gently.

"Joseph," he replied. His darker hair fell forward a bit into his face, just starting to obscure his even darker eyes. Laurie giggled, unsure if it was the booze or his smile that caused it. The brunette beside her shoved in their handshake stiffly, grinning a bit wider at Joseph when he jumped at the sudden sight of her hand in his face.

"I'm Janet, by the way," she said with a smirk, "Not that you care, or anything." Janet winked at Laurie again really quickly, before turning back to the group behind them, "Hey guys, this guy's a Marvel fan!" Immediately, the conversation turned, with all of the tipsy (and some well past tipsy) recent graduates swarming around the counter to discuss the movies with him. Laurie mostly just watched, sipping her new drink as her friends clamoured around them, shouting out theories and obscenities at any mention of what they had dubbed "The Dusting". The final scenes of the film they had all waited for had shaken them all up beyond what they had expected, though for all her grief, Laurie stayed optimistic. She read the comics, back when the "Infinity Gauntlet" run had first come out; she was expecting most of them to return in the next film.

"I'll bet you anything they call it ' _Avengers: Forever_ '," one exclaimed to the group, gaining a chorus of rebuttals.

"No way, man! ' _Avengers: Assemble_ '!" Another added.

"How about _'Avengers: Legacy_ '?"

"' _The Last Avengers_ '!"

"' _Another One Bites the Dust_ '!" Janet cheered, downing another shot. The group quieted a bit, staring at her in concern and mild horror as she smirked up at them. Laurie just shook her head, sipping again at her drink.

"That's fucked up, man," Joseph said with a laugh, before turning back to an old boombox on one of the shelves behind him, "Not as much as this, though." He turned back to Laurie, giving her a wink before clicking the play button with his thumb. A steady drum beat filled the air around them, the all-too familiar tune surrounding them as Joseph begin moving over to the register to print the bills for the group.

" _Steve walks warily down the street, with the brim pulled way down low…_ " Freddie Mercury's voice echoed around them, and Laurie laughed as her friends began singing along. Almost none of them could remember the lyrics outside of the chorus, and the loud, intoxicated mumbling was almost as ridiculous as the song itself was to them now. Joseph passed her her bill with a smirk, pointing at the small crowd of drunken graduates.

"Interesting friends you got there, I gotta say." Laurie nodded.

"You should've seen them during finals week," she responded, pulling out her card from the money clip in her pocket and handed it to him to swipe, "Two straight weeks of no sleep and endless crying, and half of these guys spend the last day bar-hopping after their last final. The locals back home still haven't recovered." They both laughed, and Joseph handed her card and receipt back to her with a pen.

"Well, if y'all plan on sticking around a while, I can promise the locals _here_ can handle it." Laurie smiled up at him again, then quickly signed the top receipt, scribbling her number at the bottom before handing it back.

"Well, if they're all as cute as you, I could definitely be convinced," she said softly, cheeks slightly flushed, though from Joseph's smile or from the alcohol, she could no longer tell. Joseph chuckled at her, then turned to look behind him for a moment at the door inside.

"You know," he said, "I'm off shift in five minutes..." Laurie's brow raised at this, and she glanced quickly around at her friends before turning back to him. "If you'd maybe like to continue this after I clock out…?"

"Meet you in ten in the parking lot?" Laurie bit at the edge of her lip as she blinked up at Joseph, who smiled at her with a wink before heading inside the main bar, another man coming out shortly after to take over at the bar. Laurie quickly downed the rest of her drink, then shuffled over to Janet where she had jumped into the middle of their group, singing at the tops of their lungs.

"Jan!" she called, the brunette leaning backwards to look at her upside-down, "Don't wait up tonight, okay? I'm gonna be late!" Janet rolled her eyes before righting herself as Laurie began heading inside to the restroom.

"Be safe!" Janet called over her shoulder, "And call me _before_ you get murdered!" Any other sound advice was drowned out by the sounds of inside as Laurie stepped through the door. Most of the patrons inside the building were less exuberant than her friends outside, mostly sticking to simply drinking in some of the booths or playing at one of the pool tables. No one paid much mind to her as she slipped through the crowd and started heading to the bathrooms in the back. She was just squeezing between one of the bar stools and a rather bulky pool player when a hooded figure shouldered past her roughly, shoving her into the man's back.

"Watch it, blondie," he growled, realigning his shot. Laurie stumbled up, muttering a "sorry" under her breath and not even bothering to pick up her purse off the floor as she looked for the person who pushed her.

"Super rude, pal…" Her eyes scanned the darkened room, catching sight of the hooded person right as they disappeared past the bathrooms and towards the back exit, "Hey, wait a second!" She started after the stranger, more than a little miffed at such blatant disregard for even just a little bit of common courtesy. Where did this person get off, not even apologizing for that?! She pushed more forcefully after them, walking right past the bathroom and turning the same corner as the door swung closed.

"Oh no, you don't." Stomping down the short hall, she flung the door open and stepped through the threshold into what she supposed was the side alley near the street.

Immediately, her vision swam and her head began to pound. It was like the hangover she was _supposed_ to get over the course of the next morning had decided to hit all at once, knocking her backwards and pushing her stomach contents further up her throat. She thought she could hear the waves crashing against the beach, but she couldn't be that close to the water, and it was much too violent to be waves. Did Joseph slip something in her drink while she wasn't looking? Where was Janet when she needed her? She listed from side to side, just barely catching herself against the brick walls of the alley. Wait, brick? Wasn't the bar made with stucco?

"Wha-at the hell…" she mumbled, eyes closed and clutching her head as she stumbled through the alley, "...happened to me?" The roaring in her ears slowly died down the further she went, the sounds of waves being replaced by horns and what seemed like loud chatter. How close was she to the street now? Why was it so busy?

"Hey buddy, you there?" she called out as she reached the edge of the alley, "I just wanna ta―"

 **HOOOONNNK!** The sudden noise shook her from her stupor, shocking her off balance as she fell backward and hit what definitely wasn't the sugar sands of the Gulf coast. Blinking slowly, she squinted upwards in the sudden bright light. When her vision restored, her brain stop functioning almost completely.

When she walked out of the bar, it had been nearing midnight on a beach in Florida, away from any major city. Now, she definitely wasn't on any beach ― especially not in Florida ― and the bright sun in her eyes was too painful to ignore. Tall buildings lined both sides of the street as far as she could see, with hundreds or maybe even thousands of people walking along the wide sidewalks, and the roads themselves were seemingly blocked by yellow taxis in perhaps the most extreme stop-and-go traffic she had ever laid eyes on.

"Where… am I?" She continued to stare in shock for a moment, before rapidly shaking her head and turning back, her heart racing as she checked all over the alley for some kind of door back to the bar.

"This can't be happening," she whispered in a panic, "This just _can't_ be happening…" The alley was dark and shallow, however, without so much as a window to excuse or explain her sudden arrival. Maybe her friends were pranking her? No, no place to hide a camera anywhere, either. She thought back to the hooded figure she followed out of the bar, and turned towards the busy street once more. Fear clutched in her gut, but she pushed on, and headed back out into the light.

"At least the weather hasn't really changed," she muttered to herself, thankful she had grabbed an overshirt for her one-piece suit and daisy dukes, though it did little to protect from the wind tunnel. Sandals smacked lightly against the hot pavement as she walked down the street a ways, eyes wide and searching for any sign of familiarity. For all the people within the city, it seemed quite a few of them had decided to crowd around a storefront just a couple blocks down the road to her right, including a familiar hood disappearing into the throng of people.

"There you are." Laurie picked up the pace, trying her best to keep an eye on the familiar stranger. She began to hear a familiar voice, as well, the closer she got, and it pushed her to move faster until she was finally standing on the edge of the crowd, peering around and over the various people to see what had gathered so much interest.

"...not the hero type, clearly…" She froze, staring at the direction of the storefront where the voice had come from, "...long list of character defects and all the mistakes I've made…" Her mind wandered, jumping from worst-case to worst-case as she shoved through the crowd. Her heart jumped up to her throat, but she choked it down forcefully.

 _They could just be watching the movie_ , she reasoned, _no reason to start thinking up crazy scenarios_. Short as she was, she managed to slip through most of the people until she could see the front window, only to find five or six televisions displaying the scene, two from different angles and all sporting a news banner along the bottom. Center screen on each, however, was a face entirely-too-familiar to Laurie, who stared up in shock and horror as he spoke into the mic.

"...I am Iron Man…" Almost immediately, a sense of nausea washed over her as the people around her all began loudly reacting to what to them seemed to be a new revelation. She watched as some of the screens continued to show the man she now knew to be none other than Tony Stark as he left the podium, while others cut to a reporter near the scene. The man next to Stark ― Colonel Rhodes, she recalled ― took the stand to address the reporters after him, looking far more like Don Cheadle's interpretation than the actor from the first film's.

No credits rolled, no rocking music played as celebrity names flashed across the screen, and no clip showing Nick Fury cornering Stark to tease the start the franchise at the very end; just a rich man with a metal suit.

Not in a movie, but for real.

"Hey, watch it buddy!" Laurie turned to her left, watching a taller, balding man in a cheap suit wave his fist at the hooded stranger as they retreated further along the road and turned a corner up ahead. Feeling her spine stiffen, she briskly followed behind, ignoring the rest of the crowd and starting to run after them. If anyone would have the answers, after all, it would be them.

She lost track of how many street signs she passed as she pursued her target, desperate to keep sight of the one she figured was responsible for… _whatever_ this was. She wasn't sure what she was going to do when she finally caught them, but she had too many questions now. She _had_ to know, and she wasn't going to stop until she got some answers. Several blocks later, however, it seemed she had finally cornered them: they'd turned down a narrow, dead-end brick alley, standing almost perfectly still as she drew nearer,back to her the entire time. She put on as tough a face she could manage, holding her head a little higher, and prepared for the worst.

"Hey, _punk_ ," she grumbled, her voice a little too shaky to maintain the growl she had aimed for, "Just where the hell do you get off? What kind of sick joke is this?" The figure didn't move at first, then slowly rotated their head to look over their shoulder, most of their face remaining masked under the shadows of the hood. A cold smirk shifted onto the only visible part of their face, however, and Laurie stopped in her tracks. Something was _wrong_.

"Hey, wait a―" a blinding flash of orange and green appeared in wall in front of them, the same roaring sound as before pounding in her skull. She cried out, slamming her hands over ears as she collapsed to her knees. What _was_ this? What was _happening_ to her? The sound faded out as the light did, and she hoped to catch them as she opened her eyes again, but this time, they were gone without a trace.

"Well…" she whispered, holding back her tears of frustration as she stared at the ― now empty ― alley, "...that's not exactly ideal..." Now what would she do? She thought about her options, trying to decide on her next course of action. She was in New York ― that much she could tell, now, having walked through a decent chunk of it just a moment ago. What was there in New York that could help her out.

 _It could have been magic_ , she pondered, pushing herself to a standing position once more. Magic _did_ exist in the Marvel multiverse, after all, if that was where she had truly ended up. She had little else to go on, and with her purse being left back in the bar, she had no phone and little money to help her survive for any length of time beyond the immediate future. But magic? That could get her back home in no time.

"And where there's magic…" she whispered, moving back out onto the sidewalk and looking around for the nearest street sign ― East 52nd and 2nd Avenue ― "...there are sorcerers…"

* * *

 **A/N: Hello! For those that follow my other writings, sorry I haven't been very active lately! In my final semester of university and trying to do my student teaching, so life is pretty hectic right now. BUT! I've had this story in my head for nearly a year now, and I've finally managed to write up a chapter for you guys. Please let me know what you guys think of it, I love seeing people reacting to my work. This is a bit different from my usual writing style, but I wanted to get some practice in writing with third-person limited POV for some of the original works I'm working on in the background, so I figured now was as good a time as any.**

 **I hope you all enjoy, and I wish for all of your safety and happiness every day. Until next time!**

 **-H. E. Vaughn (Lunarity2013)**


	2. Chapter 2

New York was much bigger than imagination and movies portrayed, Laurie was beginning to realize. It was even worse with a hangover.

The sun that had been scorching high above her when she arrived was now starting to set, resting halfway down the sides of the skyscrapers surrounding her. It had taken her nearly three hours to wander her way up to a fairly busy corner store up in North Harlem and ask for directions, only to find she had been heading in the wrong direction the entire time; Greenwich Village, she was told, was on the lower West side of the island, and without a bus pass or an understanding of the subway routes, she was forced to walk for another two hours before she even found the right neighborhood.

"John Mulaney was very wrong about this…" she muttered to herself, stopping to adjust her sandal strap for what must have been the tenth time, "I'll _tell_ you how you get lost in New York, you don't have a damn clue where you are or where you're going." Looking around for some indication of where she was, she could see a patch of green sticking out amongst the grayscale backdrop of the city; a sign beside it said "Washington Square Park", and while it wasn't quite her destination, she reasoned it couldn't hurt so bad if she just sat down for a few minutes, to rest her poor feet.

"Should probably grab something to eat, while I'm at it," she rubbed her stomach lightly, feeling it grumble and growl beneath her fingers. She walked along towards the park, keeping an eye out for the iconic glass window of the Sanctum Sanctorum as well as any food stand she could get to quickly; she didn't have much cash on her, and she doubted her card would be connected to any bank in this reality, but the sooner she ate something, the better she would likely feel.

Luck, it seemed, was not on her side, as every food place she passed seemed to be either too expensive or the wait was far too long for her to deal with. She sighed, and stopped walking about a block away from the park. This was hopeless. Even if she _did_ , by some miracle, manage to find the sanctum, how was she supposed to get help there? The Ancient One lived on the other side of the world, in Kathmandu! She'd either have to fly there herself ㅡ something she _definitely_ couldn't afford ㅡ or she'd have to convince someone in the New York sanctum to let her in and help her get there.

And there was no guarantee that she'd make it past the door without getting killed for trespassing, or worse.

Laurie slumped down, leaning her back against a street sign and staring up at the sky. What was she going to do if this failed? Where could she possibly go? She couldn't possibly stay here, not with an alien attack only about two years away! And especially not without some kind of special training or abilities to protect herself.

"What am I gonna do?" she pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she stared at the street around her. The crowds were beginning to wind down, or at least as much as they could in such a city; people were still coming and going all around her, but not nearly to the levels that they did earlier, and still not as much as they likely would when the clubs and bars started opening after dark. She wondered how busy the street she sat at would get as the day turned to night.

"What street even _is_ this?" She tilted her head back, trying to read the sign above her. _LaGuardia Place_ , it read, along with… "Bleecker Street!" She stood up suddenly, almost knocking herself and some poor bystander into the street in the process. Bleecker street; she remembered seeing the address of the sanctum saying "Bleecker Street". She had been so close this whole time! Laurie, feeling hopeful for maybe the first time since she arrived in that reality, quickly turned and started walking along the road.

There weren't as many people, she noticed, as she walked down the street. In fact, it was the significant lack of people around her that tipped her off that, maybe, something was different about this part of town. But was it the sanctum itself, she wondered, or something else?

 _How will I know when I've found it?_ She thought; she didn't recognize any of the buildings from street view. Glancing around the strangely empty road, she stepped out onto the pavement, staring up at the higher levels of the surrounding buildings, looking for a familiar glass window that would indicate she had made it. She meandered along, spinning slowly to look at each building she passed. Surely she was getting close, she couldn't have passed it alreadyㅡ

"What are you doing?!" a voice called out, shocking her out of her thoughts, "Get out of the road!" She looked toward the sound, seeing a man standing beside one of the buildings, wearing strange robes, his posture rigid and unmoving. Laurie stared critically at him, eyeing his robes carefully, then looking to the building behind him; the sign by his head said "177A Bleecker St.", and there was a round, glass window with spiraling panelling high above him.

"Finally…" she whispered, and she began moving towards him. He frowned, eyebrows furrowed.

"Don't you know not to stand in the street?" he asked as she drew near, "Why were you standing out there?"

"Sorry," she shrugged. He seemed surprisingly talkative for what she expected, "Is this the Sanctum Sanctorum?" The man stiffened up, taking on a slightly more threatening stance at the question. Laurie could feel what seemed like electricity crackling around her, like the air before a storm, but stood strong, waiting an answer.

"What business would you have at the Sanctum?" he asked, stepping closer into her space. Laurie remained unfazed, matching his gaze with her own as she responded.

"My name is Laurie Valiente," she replied, "and I need to speak with the Ancient One immediately."

* * *

It had taken more convincing, but eventually the man ㅡ who she learned was named Daniel Drumm, one of the protectors of the New York sanctum ㅡ allowed her inside, leading her up and down various sets of stairs, past numerous encased artifacts, and finally to the doorways to the different sanctums. Laurie tried to look at everything she passed, bumping into Daniel and various cases more than once on her way through. She stood in front of the entrance, staring at the open hall into Kamar-Taj.

"Thank you for helping me, Daniel," she said, turning to give him a small smile. He nodded to her, remaining in his stiff posture.

"Do not thank me yet, young one," he said, taking a step back from the portal, "You still have far to go either way." Either way? What could he have meant by that? Laurie shook it off, choosing to face forward once more as she walked through the portal.

The change was immediate, she noticed, even from inside; her breath came less easily ㅡ as if she had suddenly been shifted to the top of a small mountain instead of building at sea level ㅡ and she could feel the warm from outside seeping in more steadily, clearly with no air conditioning available to cool down the insulated interior. Candlelight guided through the entrance to the rest of the sanctum, the sky outside only just beginning to lighten to gray. In front of her, however, stood a lone figure, draped in hooded robes and head bowed gently, hiding their face; they did not stir at Laurie's sudden presence.

"Um…excuse me?" Laurie whispered, stepping closer, "Sorry to... _bother_ you, but…" The stranger remained still, the slight shift of robes the only sign that they were more than a statue as they breathed calmly. Looking more closely, Laurie could see long strands of dark, graying hair poking out from under the hood, and the edge of a masculine jawline. It seemed almost familiar, in a way, she thought as she stared more closely.

"...Welcome," the shriek Laurie emitted at the sound of the stranger's voice echoed slightly, causing them to chuckle quietly, "The Ancient One has been expecting you." She stared at the stranger ㅡ a man, she guessed, by his voice ㅡ and felt unease creep into the pit of her stomach.

"Expecting?" she asked, watching him carefully, "I'm not so sure that bodes well for me…" He smiled at her, and tilted his head up to show his face, mirth gleaming in his honey-brown eyes.

"Follow me." With that, he turned on his heel and began to walk swiftly down one of the winding hallways out of the inner sanctum. He moved quickly, not leaving Laurie much time to catch up as he led her out through a door to the courtyard; the edge of the horizon was just starting to show some pink underneath the gray and blue, Laurie could just barely make out the green of the leaves before following the man through yet another door.

This room seemed much more familiar, she realized, as he led her in a vast and open room, built and styled almost exactly like the scene where Doctor Strange first learned about what the magic was. Standing in the very center of the room, however, was not Tilda Swinton playing at some all-knowing role, but a short, tan-skinned older woman, monolid eyes boring into hers as her wrinkled face contorted in a small smile. Same hooded yellow robes, same vague yet powerful appearance…

But if there had been any doubts before about where she was or what had happened, they died at the sight of the Ancient One before her.

"I had been wondering when I would be seeing you..." The woman spoke in a soft, almost dreamy tone, but there was an edge to her words. Somehow, Laurie didn't doubt that, whatever happened that brought her here, this woman not only knew about it, but had expected this encounter far longer than she could likely comprehend. It made her wonder, just _why_ exactly was she there in the first place?

"I, uh…" she started, clearing her throat, "That's surprising, because I _definitely_ wasn't planning on being here…" The Sorcerer Supreme nodded, arms crossing behind her back.

"Perhaps not, yet you found yourself here all the same." The woman thanked the man who led her here ㅡ Kaecilius, Laurie heard him called ㅡ then gestured to a chair behind her, moving aside so Laurie could sit down. Laurie walked cautiously, eyes never leaving the woman's face, and continued to watch her as she stood in front of her. "Somehow, in all of your confusion, you managed to find your way to one of the sanctums, and eventually make it here. Others in your place have not been so fortunate before."

Now _that_ wasn't what she expected.

"I'm sorry," she said, holding up her hands in a 'stop' motion, "'Others in my place?' You mean I'm not the first person to end up here?"

"Nor the last, I am certain," the woman responded, "for thousands of years, people have wandered through dimensional rifts and found themselves adrift in other realms and realities throughout the cosmos. But very few ever have the thought in their heads to seek out the expertise of a sorcerer supreme."

"Only one such soul has before come to us for aid or guidance," another man spoke, stepping out from a dim hall and into the room behind the Ancient One, "A Watcher, who spends his time now keeping tabs on the most extraordinary of events, taking his place often just on the edge of disaster."

"Only one other person found this place?" Laurie asked, seeing the man ㅡ Mordo, if she had to guess from his face ㅡ nod to her. "Out of all the others like me?" Another nod. "You ever think maybe that might be because you guys just leave the sorry bastards to, oh I don't know, wander aimlessly for hours until they either find you guys or give up?" The two figures stared back at her, and Mordo raised a brow. "...No offense."

"It is not our place to seek out those who arrive in this realm by accident," the Ancient One spoke with a hint of finality in her tone, "If they are meant to find us, as you have, then they will. We cannot allow ourselves to make those decisions rashly, whether to bring them here or to send them back. Either one could reveal ourselves to potential threats." She had a point, Laurie had to admit to herself. The image of the man she followed flashed before her eyes again, steeling herself for the rest of the conversation.

"...okay," she said, standing up again, chin held high, "Well I followed _someone_ here, someone who can walk through portals between dimensions, clearly. I walked out of a bar in Jacksonville and into a Manhattan alley, turned a corner and watched Tony _fucking_ Stark say the words 'I am Iron Man', followed _not_ by a colorful credits sequence but instead a news anchor discussing Stark's new super-hero status. The _only_ reason I knew to come here at all, instead of trying to hunt down an Avenger or something, is because I've seen enough Marvel movies to know how to find the New York sanctum, and even _that_ took nearly all afternoon!"

"Marvel...movies?" Mordo hesitated, looking intrigued as he stepped closer, "You mean to say that there are events and people within this world that are… movies, in you dimension?" Laurie deflated a bit, relaxing her shoulders ㅡ which had tensed and raised as she ranted before.

"Movies, comic books, television shows," she listed, "a bunch of things, for decades…"

"And how far do the events of these medias go, in terms of time?" The Ancient One smiled lightly, as if she already knew the answer. Images of events yet to come flashed in Laurie's mind, and she paused, suddenly feeling like all air had been pulled from her lungs.

"Beyond what your sight can see," Laurie whispered. The Ancient One could only see up to her own death, but the films had gone beyond that even just in _Doctor Strange_ , not even mentioning the films that came in the two years following that. And Laurie, having seen every movie in the MCU lineup through to _Infinity War_ , knew where everything was going to head up until the point where that purple grape-stain on the universe snapped his fingers and turned half the universe into dust. She knew just about every move that would be made, every choice, every life that would be taken throughout at least the next decade.

And if she knew all that, then maybe she could do something about it.

She had stood there, mildly shocked, until the Ancient One and the others had begun to walk away.

"Well, I suppose you'll be wanting to head back, then, so we should go ahead and get started…" Laurie shook herself from her thoughts, then ran to cut them off before they reached the hallway.

"Wait a minute!" she cried, blocking their path, "What if I didn't have to go?"

"Oh, but surely you must," the woman continued, ducking around the blonde's arm and continuing on, "We mustn't keep you too long, your friends are certainly waiting for you."

"But if I know something that could help, then maybe I could… I don't know, fix things! Save lives!" She called after them, walking faster to keep pace with the sorcerers' long steps.

"But who are you, Laurie Valiente, to decide that?" The older woman stopped still, turning to face her. Her expression was steely, but there was a light, almost mischievous look in her eye, "Who are any of us to decide who lives or who dies? Our purpose is to protect the greater world from mystical threats, not align ourselves with forces meant to defend against physical attacks." The Sorcerer Supreme turned back around, continuing to walk down the hall. "For now, we shall ensure that you arrive back at your previous location safely, nothing more."

Laurie, feeling frustrated, groaned at the woman's antics, and rushed ahead of the trio of sorcerers, blocking off their path once more as she stared them down. She took a breath, and spoke calmly.

"If you were really planning to send me home, you would have done so when I arrived at the Sanctum Sanctorum." The Ancient One raised a brow, but remained silent. "Now, I can't say for sure the intentions of the person I followed to get here, but I _know_ that it wasn't any accident. Not with Loki, and Thanos, and eventual dusting of the entire universe hanging over our heads like the sword of fucking Damocles."

"Thanos?" the Ancient One looked surprised, if the widening of her eyes was anything to go by, "I don't know that name." At this, Mordo and Kaecilius both started, staring in shock and confusion at the Sorcerer Supreme.

"He's a mad titan," Laurie explained, "who thinks that the ever-expanding universe needs a population cut in order to continue to survive. He plans to gain ultimate power in order to wipe half the universe out of existence."

"In order to achieve that goal," Mordo began, a look of worry cracking through his stoic exterior, "then he would needㅡ"

"To collect all six infinity stones," Laurie finished, "He has one already, and knows the general locations of all but one other. Including the time stone." The Ancient One smiled at Laurie, the dreamy but stern expression returning to her face. "Look, I don't believe in coincidences. I don't know if I'm meant to defeat Thanos or save the universe at all, but I know that if I was brought here, then it was for a reason, and I think that reason may be to at _least_ help fight back against the complete and total _shit-storm_ that's headed our way… And you know it, don't you?"

The other two sorcerers glanced at each other, then at the Sorcerer Supreme before stepping back, folding their arms behind their backs in perfect sync. The older woman stepped forward again ㅡ so close Laurie's nose nearly touched the woman's forehead ㅡ and smiled up at her, her dark eyes glinting.

"Then let us begin."

* * *

 **A/N** **: Hi everyone! Been working on this one for a while. Unfortunately, it won't be until after May 10th before I even begin working on chapter 3, but this one's finally ready! I should be graduating from university this semester *fingers crossed* and am gonna continue to be super busy until then. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'll see you next time!**

 **\- Lunarity2013**


	3. Chapter 3

Training at Kamar-Taj was easily the most difficult thing Laurie had ever done. Not that she had had much experience with hard work or effort, really ― she knew how privileged she was to have gotten through university on scholarship, while also living at home for free and not having to pay her way for anything; the most she had worked for anything were a handful of babysitting jobs through high school, and a 6-month internship at the local history museum the previous year, neither of which required much physical or mental exertion.

Learning magic, however, was far more strenuous.

"Visualize," the Ancient One's voice called out through the courtyard, "See the destination in your mind. Look beyond the world in front of you." Laurie concentrated on the space in front of her, sling ring on her left hand and she felt outward for the energy she knew existed between her and the air. She looked at the scene before her, an empty corner of the communal space tinged orange with the light of the sunset, and tried to picture a different scene in its place.

She thought back to her lonely cot in the New York sanctum, tucked away into a tiny room off the East Wing, still covered with dust from the years of disuse. She thought beyond that to the sanctum itself, of Daniel and the other sorcerers within its walls, guarding the artifacts and other secrets hidden within its darkened walls. She pictured the building from the outside, squashed between apartment complexes and cheap quick-grab restaurants, and remembered, for a second, why she was there, what she was hoping to accomplish.

Images flashed behind her eyelids: metal suits and star-spangled shields, green fists and spider webs. A voice chuckled deeply in her ear, a snap of metal-covered fingers.

Laurie's eyes snapped open ― _when had they closed_ ― to see sparks flying erratically where her portal was supposed to be, a sickly yellow shade instead of crisp, ember-orange. She sighed, lowering her hands and cutting off the sparks before they misfired. She dropped into a sitting position, fingers massaging her temples as her new mentors drifted over to her.

"Your mind is too active," the Ancient One said, moving to stand before her, "Six weeks, you've trained with us, but you have yet to quiet your thoughts enough to take our teachings to heart."

"I know what we have to lose if we fail," Laurie whispered, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her palms, "It's hard not to think about it, sometimes."

"You must learn to see past it, in order to achieve what you have set out to do." She looked up to the older woman, searching her eyes for something she couldn't quite place. Her thoughts began to drift again, if only slightly.

Laurie had always been good at understanding what she needed to succeed. Highly intelligent, and wise beyond what most her age were, she could see when she needed help to get better. She had always known who to ask for help, and how to get the assistance she required for whatever task had stumped her.

But this wasn't just any old task. She wasn't trying to understand a mathematical concept before an exam, nor was she attempting to properly word a 10 page essay on the deeper meanings of Shakespeare's greatest works. Instead, Laurie was trying to unravel the mysteries of the universe in order to weave them under her control, so that she could use that power to save the lives of countless innocent people before the world fell apart around them.

And that very thought, the fear held within it, was holding her back.

The Ancient One raised a brow at her, as though she could see the revelation her pupil had just experienced.

"What do you need from me?" she asked. Laurie hesitated for a moment, but then pulled herself back into a standing position before her new teacher, a steely glint of determination in her eyes.

"I need a push."

* * *

A chill ran up Laurie's spine as she sat cross-legged in one of the library chairs, pouring over a thick, yellowing tome and listening to the pitter-patter of rain outside the window. Weeks at the Sanctum had turned to months, and soon winter would sweep across the Northern Hemisphere. Laurie had taken to wearing the same robes and shoes as the other sorcerers she interacted with, though it did little to help with the chill. If anything, it accentuated it.

"All you seem to do these days is read and train," the librarian, a man called Genghi, said to her, "Forgive me, but don't young folks like yourself sleep anymore? Or at least go outside every once in a while?" He often teased her like this, and while he meant no harm, it did not always serve to lighten her spirits. This, it seemed, was one of those days.

"I'm not sure where I would even go, if I could at all," Laurie replied, not looking up as she turned to the next page, "I have no friends outside of the temple, no place to call my own, and the only clothes I have that aren't robes are the ones I came here in, and you can't exactly wear cut-offs and sandals in the middle of November, at least not in this hemisphere." She sighed. "Besides, the one thing I _might_ want to do to relieve stress requires a valid ID, which I no longer have, since I don't technically exist..."

Genghi nodded, smiling at her sadly before moving around to peer at her book over her shoulder. He watched her for a moment as she read up on astral projecting for what must have been the thousandth time, before he came to a decision. With a wave of his hand, the book shut in her lap, and rocketed up into his grasp.

"Hey!" Laurie snapped, turning to glare at him.

"I know for a fact that you've read this particular passage far more times than necessary, even for a novice," he responded, his voice level and emotionless, though his eyes betrayed a sense of mirth.

"I just want to make sure I've got it right!" she said, "I don't want to mess up, now give it back!" She tried to take the book back from him, only to be held back by a bright orange shield glowing in her face.

"You have done nothing but read and practice and train since you came to this temple back in May," Genghi said, dropping the book through a portal so it landed on the top of the shelf beside them. He turned to her, dark eyes softening. "You will work yourself ragged and be unable to help anyone at all if you do not find some time to relax." She held back a groan, pinching the bridge of her nose as she stood up properly to face him.

"And how, pray-tell, am I supposed to do that?" she asked. Genghi was silent, and when she looked up, the smug satisfaction on his face was unmistakable.

"I think an old friend of mine may be able to help with that…"

* * *

Genghi, as it turned out, had not lead the most simple or friendly life before winding up in Kathmandu. In fact, the friends he apparently had made before were so vastly different than Laurie had expected, she began to suspect that perhaps that perhaps some of them might have landed him in jail ― or worse ― had it not been for the Ancient One and her teachings, pulling him away from his former life almost entirely. But some bonds, it seemed, never truly fade away.

It certainly seemed to be that, whatever job the sanctum's librarian had all those years before beginning his training, many of the bonds he forged with his colleagues were strong enough to withstand his backing away and starting anew. At the very least, they appeared to be as such as Genghi and his old friend chatted away in the back room of a New Jersey tattoo parlor, printing out new documents and IDs for Laurie to use.

She already felt slightly out of place, wearing Genghi's youngest daughter's old, itchy _MIT_ sweater and thick, fuzzy leggings that were three inches too long, but watching as the two men conversed as if they'd never spent a day apart only served to remind her of how much she missed the friends she had left behind.

"Laurie," Genghi called out, drawing her from her spiraling thoughts. The man beside him was putting together a large manilla folder, carefully sliding all of her new documents inside ― new ID, birth certificate, legal papers, graduation records ― anything that she might need in this new world, all real information made false only through her circumstantial existence. It shouldn't have felt so strange ― the fake ID, in particular, as she had needed one back home in order to go out drinking with friends anyway; graduating two years ahead of everyone else only had so many perks, after all. But it still twisted something in her gut, as if she were somehow taking advantage of their kindness.

"You're still gonna need a few things, like credit cards and stuff, but this should be enough to help you get those things," he said, sealing the folder under the attached metal clasp. He turned to her, flashing a shiny, gold-toothed grin as he passed the files to her. The packet felt heavy, like there was more to it than just the physical weight of the documents within.

"And there is still more that must be done before you are ready to head out for yourself," Genghi added, placing a hand on her shoulder, "But I believe we can handle that." He turned back to his friend with a smile, "Thank you, Yen, for your help."

"Hey, anything for a brother," Yen replied, pulling some fingerless gloves onto his calloused hands, "I left my card in there, too, in case ya need anything else. Just gimme a ring." Laurie looked down at her feet, fighting a smile. She hadn't expected such kindness from anyone when she first came to this world, having been too focused on her goals to allow herself to try and interact with anyone that couldn't help her with achieving them.

Perhaps that was why she felt so lonely…

She smiled at Yen, hugging the files close as she whispered, "Thanks." And looking between the two men beside her, she finally felt for the first time since she arrived in this world that maybe she didn't have to take everything on all on her own.

* * *

Months continued to pass, and with Ghengi and his friends' help, Laurie was finally starting to settle back into regular society. When she wasn't training ― which still wasn't going exactly how she would have preferred ― she had properly set up her room back in the New York sanctum, and was working part-time at an old used bookstore deep in the heart of the South Village historic district.

It reminded her a lot of her old internship, in a way, with the aged feel of the building and the books within. Some of the books were a bit newer ― some as new as the latest Harry Potter book, in fact ― but all were well-loved to the point of visible wear and tear, with coffee and tear stains, dog-ear scars, and many missing covers, only to be held together with a dangerous amount of duct-tape (at least, for a book). Each sale felt like losing an ancient relic, in its own way, but Laurie felt right at home all the same.

"It almost feels a bit like in here," she told Genghi after her first day of work there, helping carefully shelve older tomes in the Sanctum library, "There's almost this...energy, coming from the books, you know?" Genghi would nod, smiling, and continue to listen as she talked; he had become her true confidant in this new life, though many things that she shared with the Ancient One remained a secret.

Her training, as well, seemed to have improved with her distractions. The more she started to learn and do outside of her studies at the temple, the easier it became to distract herself from the impending doom that was Thanos and his armies. Magic flowed more easily through her, and soon she was able to hold her own in training sessions with both Mordo and Kaecilius.

"You are improving," the Ancient One commented one afternoon as they walked together through the temple grounds. Spring had come at last, bringing with it the first warm breezes of the season and reminding Laurie why she loved the season most of all; she even chose to wear some new clothes, with shorter sleeves and hemlines to accommodate the warmer temperatures. "Your skill has surpassed what many here suspected you capable of at your arrival." Laurie laughed softly, unable to bring herself to feel upset at the insinuation.

"I've certainly accomplished more than _I_ thought I ever could," she said, keeping pace with the older woman as they passed newly-flowering trees, blocking most of the current training group from view. Some of them were new, she recalled, listening to the slight sputtering and fizzing of half-working portals echoing from the courtyard. It felt like a lifetime ago, now, when that had been her.

"Regardless, perhaps it is time your training was taken to the next level." Laurie turned at looked at the Ancient One again, startled from her thoughts to see she had walked on without her. She hurried to fall into step with her again, looking to see the slight dreamy smirk plastered across her face. The woman was mischievous, she had known, but seeing it so blatantly in her expression still served to catch her off guard from time to time.

"What exactly did you have in mind?" Laurie hesitated, curiosity overriding caution as they entered the temple once again, stepping into the room of portals leading from sanctum to sanctum. She could see Daniel waiting in view of the New York sanctum, arms stiff behind his back.

"I have informed Master Drumm that you are to spend the afternoon in the hall of relics," the Ancient One said, "Perhaps you may find something there that will aid you in the future." With that, she turned and began walking away again, leaving Laurie standing speechless in place for a moment before passing through the thin, almost water-like portal barrier and back across the globe into the Sanctum Sanctorum.

"Is she ever gonna just be straightforward with me on what she wants?" Laurie muttered, untying the jacket around her waist and slipping it on; spring was still only starting to move in on this side of the world, and the late hour only made it colder. Daniel only smiled ― a rare gesture on his part ― and turned to walk her down towards the eastern wing of the building, away from the main hall or the dorms.

"I wouldn't hold out hope just yet," he said softly. Laurie shook her head, but didn't reply, merely following just behind him as her lead her through a beautiful wide wooden archway into a different section of the building, one that deeply reminded her of a very old and eclectic museum. Glass cases were placed sporadically around the room, drawing attention away from the walls lined with bookshelves and instead to the items within their transparent confines. A magnificent staircase stood in the back center of the room, a gorgeous window overhead filling the dimly-lit room with imitation starlight, something normally not seen so close to the city itself. It was a small comfort, that the stars here were no different than those back home; through the glass, they even appeared the same level of brightness as they had back in her old home ― the magic must be more personal then, she figured, remembering the brighter span of stars and stardust visible from Kamar-Taj every night.

"So, what exactly are we looking at here?" Laurie drawled, reluctantly pulling her gaze from the simulated skyline to face her companion. Daniel nodded, walking her forward and gesturing to the first of the cases; floating inside was a large, ebony bow with sharp spikes on the ends ― a quiver of silver-tipped arrows with iridescent feather attachments sitting beside it.

"Each of the items in this hall contains an immense amount of power," he stated, "Sometimes magic can overcome us, so we instead infuse it into objects to keep from overwhelming our own abilities. Some of us are chosen by certain relics for only a short time, others for as long as we remain with this order." He turned to look at her. "You have seen some of these already." That thought surprised her, that she might have already seen such artifacts. Looking back on it, a few particular images stuck out her mind ― Mordo's staff, Kaecilius' dagger-scythes, the Ancient One's private books, many of which were chained up higher than she could properly see.

"Okay," she replied, "does that mean I'm supposed to pick one now?" She felt excitement, perhaps some of the first she'd really felt since first arriving, but it dimmed as Daniel shook his head.

"Not exactly," he said softly, gesturing again to the case in front of them, "These are the Bow and Arrow of Apollon. Have you heard of them?"

"I've heard of _Apollo_ ," she responded, "Greek god of medicine, music, plagues, and apparently _not humility_." He chuckled slightly.

"Yes, that very same Apollo is said to have used this bow and these arrows back in ancient times," he said, "though that is largely myth. The truth, however, is not nearly as entertaining." She nodded.

"So why point this one out to me instead of the others?"

"Do you feel any inclination towards it?" he asked, as she saw him watching her carefully through the corner of his eye. "Does it call to you in any way?" She shrugged, feeling out with her more heightened senses towards the case. The bow continued to float, the arrows laying beside it, but felt no other pull to it besides her admiration for its design.

 _Hawkeye might like to use that…_

"Not really, no," she admitted, imagining instead the bow-wielding assassin's face if he were to find it instead, "Though the design is pretty neat." A moment passed, complete silence.

"Then it has not chosen you," he replied, pulling her from her musings. "Maybe someday, it will, but for now it will remain here. For the best, perhaps ― this one is particularly dangerous, if mishandled." He walked away from the glass, moving instead back towards the open archway leading out of the hall. Laurie watched him go, rooted to the spot. The Ancient One had said to being her here, so why was he leaving already?

"What about the other relics?" she asked, casting a glance around the room, "Will _they_ choose me?" If not, then what was the point of bringing her here?

"The relics will decide if you are ready for them," Daniel replied simply, pulling two hidden doors out of the sides of the archway, "If not today, then maybe someday. However, even if one does choose you, I think you might wish to check the _whole_ room before you decide to try again some other time." With that, he shut the two doors behind him, leaving her alone in the room. Unsure of the feeling in her gut ― apprehension, maybe? ― she slowly began walking her way over to the next nearest case, a tattered old book floating inside.

It took nearly an hour of standing close to and feeling through each artifact in just that one corner of the room before she felt something. A tug, like a boy pulling her pigtails in grade school, except this pulled something in her core, guiding her over to the case furthest from the door on that side, hidden slightly behind the Cloak of Levitation. Inside, it didn't look like much ― a pair of brown leather boots, with straps wrapped around multiple times and at least two buckles holding them in place. They didn't even appear like they would fit her, but she felt the pull again, and looked to the card resting beside them.

" _Vaulting Boots of Valtoor_ …" She read, looking them over again. An image flashed in her mind, of Mordo in those same boots, walking on air as he sparred with Stephen Strange, orange sparks flying from his feet with each step. She looked up from the boots to the glass before her, staring into her faint reflection on its surface. "...But why me?"

 _If they're calling to me, then what does that mean for Mordo?_ She wondered, trying to think harder about the scenes in the movie where he used them. Only that one scene was coming to mind, but it felt wrong somehow, as if her brain were purposely blocking out any other instances of his use of the boots. _I know he used them outside of that, so what am I supposed to do?_ Searching her memory again, she stepped back from the case, only to feel two tugs this time ― the second one fainter, and coming from the other side of the room. Laurie glanced back, green eyes catching on a smaller case tucked into the back corner, and sighed.

 _I'll check that one out first_ , she reasoned, _then see if I even need the boots at all…_ She turned fully away then and walked towards the other case, unaware of the creak of glass sounding behind her.

"It seems something grabbed your attention,.." The Ancient One smiled at her again in that same mischievous way she had when first bringing her to the hall. Laurie nodded, holding two small knives in each hand and looking over them in barely muted fascination. Daniel smiled at her from his place beside the older woman, stepping forward to look closer at the weapons.

"Ah," he said softly, "the _Daggers of Daveroth_. Those are certainly quite interesting relics, they should do much to aid you in your quest." The Ancient One raised a shaved brow, lips quirking into a slight smirk at his observation.

"Yes, they are quite nice," she said, startling the two younger sorcerers, "but those are not the relics I was referring to." Puzzled, Laurie looked up to see the older woman's eyes pointed not at her but instead behind her, where she was beginning to hear a slight crackling sound coming ever closer. Before she could turn, however, a swift kick hit her from behind, shoving her forward slightly and throwing her off guard.

"Ah, I see," Daniel laughed, reaching behind her, "It seems you nearly forgot something." He pulled his arm forward again, and in his hand were the same boots from before. Laurie scoffed, eyeing them playfully.

"Oh yes, of course," she drawled, "but was kicking me _really_ necessary? I am holding sharp objects, after all." The boots, of course, gave no response, though the tugging was more incessant now than before. She knew she wasn't likely to get out of this, regardless of Mordo's connection to them in her memories.

"You will need to begin specific training for both of those relics right away," the Ancient One stated, "You are running out of time to prepare, if you still plan on jumping into the fray when you said you would." Shocked, Laurie looked up at the woman.

"So soon?!" she asked, grip tightening on the hilts of her new daggers, "How much longer do I have?" The attack on New York wasn't for a year yet, she knew — Ivan Vanko hadn't even made it to attack Tony Stark yet, so there should still have been time to prepare.

 _Unless everything is happening sooner than I originally thought..._

"I would say a few months, at most," the woman replied, her tone even and lacking any emotion; had Laurie not spent so long with her by now, she wouldn't have seen the apologetic look behind her eyes. "You will need to place yourself, establish an identity beyond the borders of our temples. The longer you have to prepare on your own, the safer all of us — including yourself — will be." Laurie turned her gaze to the floor, letting her mentor's words sink in.

 _Sometimes, I really hate when she's right…_ she thought to herself. If she stayed too long, then later on she ran the risk of S.H.I.E.L.D. monitoring her movements and tracing her back here. The Master of the Mystic Arts did a great deal of good for the universe, but if any agents outside of the handful Laurie knew about tried to investigate the temples — or worse yet, infiltrate them — then her entire operation could fall to pieces; no amount of training could help her prepare for if Nick Fury's bosses decided that HYDRA needed magic abilities or mystic weapons. _I guess I'd better get started then…_

"Okay, well I know what the boots do," Laurie started, taking them from Daniel with one hand. They felt almost too light, for a moment, and she watched them shift almost noticeably down to what looked like her size, the belts and straps reaching slightly higher than before. In her other hand, she held the two daggers — rounded blades with embellished handles, complete with miniature opera-style masks at the handle tips — and held them up slightly. "What am I supposed to do with these?"

* * *

Eight months. That was how long she had left at the temples before she needed to begin establishing a civilian identity. She spent every moment that she could training with her new gear, learning from Mordo how to work the boots properly and practicing weapons sparring with Kaecilius, who had his own set of sythe daggers. The boots were an easy lesson — walking on air was terrifying, at first, but practice with that and landing from great heights without injury helped her get over her reservations and use them effectively.

The daggers were another story. Once she had the boots down, she spent every moment she had within the temples using the daggers, in and out of combat. They worked with her mind, moving where she wanted them and acting on her instinct to defend her from incoming blows. It was easier when she let them float, giving them space to move on their own and go as far as they needed. The problem came when she needed to hold them, orchestrating their movements more directly as an extension of herself.

"You're holding yourself back," Kaecilius told her after one practice, standing over her as she sat on the ground, using her abilities to speed up the healing process for the new cut on her cheek. "You cannot allow yourself to hesitate in battle simply because you are afraid of getting hit by your enemy."

"I _know_ that!" she snapped back, fixing him with a sharp glare, "I _know_ I have to be prepared to fight! I _know_ I need to be ready in case everything goes to shit before Thanos shows up! I _know_ already!" Kaecilius, to his credit, didn't react; he simply knelt down in front of her, normally honey-toned eyes clouding over to a muddled brown. For a moment, she swore she saw his face from the films again — dark shadows surrounding the eyes and Dormamu's mark burnt into the skin of his forehead — before it vanished, quick as it had appeared. Her hand froze, eyes widening for a fraction of a second before he spoke.

"Then don't hold back," he whispered, "Look at me and envision your enemy. What will you do when you face down the end of the universe, how will you react? Now is the time you make your decision." With that, he stood and leapt back to his starting position, daggers held at his sides as he waited. Laurie growled, shoving her shock to the side as she wiped the remaining blood off on her sleeve. She rose up from the floor, standing taller now as she took each dagger in hand, and rushed forward to strike.

"Is there anything left that you need taken care of before you go?" Laurie smiled sadly over to Genghi at his question, slinging a bag over her shoulders.

"Not much that I can think of, honestly," she replied, "Stella's taking care of the apartment stuff, and Yen helped get me everything I needed identity-wise beforehand…" The librarian sorcerer, someone who had quickly become one of her two confidants in this place, suddenly looked much older to her than before. She thought back on every moment leading up to this — from his assistance in getting official papers and records, to giving her a list of his old underground contacts, to even asking his daughter to help set her up in a new apartment just outside of Manhattan, in Brooklyn. The man before her had done everything he could to aid her in her journey, and here he stood, still offering her his help on her last day in the temple. She couldn't remember another time someone had done so much for her, while asking nothing in return.

It made the pain of leaving hurt so much more.

"Gen…" she whispered, putting her bags down. She walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him in a big hug. "Thank you, for everything." He laughed softly, patting a hand on her head before she stepped back again.

"I am glad to have helped in some small way," he said simply, waving a hand and helping her collect her few belongings again, "However, I do believe there is one more thing you will need." Laurie frowned, confused. What could she have forgotten?

"What do you mean, Genghi?" she asked. His eyes flickered with mirth as he turned to walk out the door, waving over his shoulder for her to follow. They walked down the halls of the New York sanctum together, passing by various artifacts and doorways until they reached a familiar doorway — one leading to Daniel's own dorms. Befuddled, she watched as Genghi knocked on the door, and followed him when other man opened it and ushered them inside.

"Genghi isn't the only one with less-than respectable contacts," Daniel said, pulling a brown leather suitcase out from under his bed; it was simple in design, neither too thin or too bulky, though the belted straps that once held it closed appeared to only be decoration now, instead replaced with a strange, swirling magic-imbued mark on the handle. Reaching forward cautiously, Laurie ran her thumb across the mark and felt the energy held within it; she pushed against it with her own energy for a moment, only stopping once she heard a soft _click_ sound within the case. She then lifted the case, and looked inside.

"Oh wow…" she gasped. Inside rested a shimmering black-gray suit, complete with fingerless gloves and a simple, self-adhesive domino mask. The material was thick and sleek, seeming to glide beneath her fingers as she reached in to feel it.

"It's 100% kevlar," Daniel said from her left, "I used my sister as the model for the measurements, so it may need some adjustments."

"You might also want to think about the design," Genghi added behind her, "Perhaps something _less obvious_ than a bulletproof catsuit?" Laurie laughed, tears pricking behind her eyes as she put the suit back in the case. She stood carefully, pulling them both into a tight hug.

"Thank you!" she said cheerfully, "I was _not_ looking to trying to get in touch with someone for this!" They all laughed then, until a soft, dreamy voice sounded behind them.

"It is time," the Ancient One stood in the doorway, the same expression on her face that was there when she had first arrived. Laurie nodded, feeling less anxious now than she realized she had been. She grabbed her bags once again, struggling for just a moment to balance her new suitcase with the rest of her things. She walked up to the woman before her, bowing her head slightly as she waited. There was so much she felt herself wanting to say, but shoved it to the side.

 _I'll see her again_ , she reasoned, _Whatever it takes…_

"Thank you," she said finally, "For everything you've done for me." The older woman nodded, letting some bit of sadness seep into her gaze before pushing it back again.

"Go now," she said, "Do what must be done." She waved her hand, and Laurie could feel the tell-tale rush of a portal behind her. She turned around to face it — a warm glow of lamp light shining through — and then, with one last glance at those around her, she stepped through and into a dimly lit, sparsely furnished apartment. She smiled, and turned around once more just as the portal closed behind her.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for being patient with me! I've been working on this chapter for ages, trying to figure out how to transition from exposition to main plot while also balancing work and home, and it's finally done! Next chapter will be the beginning of Avengers 1, and I plan to start work on that as soon as possible! Hope you enjoyed, and see y'all next time!**


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